It's About The Journey
by TroyellaStoriesForever.hsm
Summary: Gabriella Montez is a young, motivated medical intern who aspires to be a highly successful surgeon. She, however, has lost sight of what is truly important. Friends and family, love and happiness. That is until her surgical bubble is popped by an adventurous firefighter, Troy Bolton. Will he be able to show her that life is not about the destination, but about the journey.


**Hello Readers,**

**Thank you for deciding to read my story, "It's About The Journey." I am extremely excited about this story, so I hope you enjoy the first chapter (fingers crossed). Please let me know what you think. Also, if you have any spare time, read my other in-progress story, "Finding a Life." Anyway, hope this is the beginning of something awesome. Very grateful for you all. Mad Love X**

**p.s. Boston Central Hospital is a made up place in the middle of Boston's city. Boston Fire Department is obviously real, but the engine and ladder numbers are made up. **

* * *

The loud sounds of Gabriella's alarm echoed through her bare bedroom. Her eyes opened slowly as she groaned, reaching over to stop the monstrous music that played near her head. She felt a man beside her slowly jolt out of sleep.

"Morning." He yawned, "What time is it?"

"5:00." Gabriella replied as she rose from bed. "I'm going to take a quick shower."

"Wake me up when you get back." He said before rolling back into the comfort of her mattress. Gabriella snatched some clean clothes from her closet and walked across the hall to the bathroom. Whilst showering, she heard footsteps in the kitchen downstairs. She swore under her breath and quickly shut off the shower. Her room-mates, Sophia and Luke were already up. This was not good news for Gabriella and definitely not good news for her new lover boy. Gabriella rushed into her room, shaking the bed and calling his name.

"Hey." She whispered hurriedly, "You've got to go."

"Huh?"He replied tiredly, "That was the quickest shower in the history of the world."

"My room-mates are awake." Gabriella told him, "You can sneak out the back."

He sat up to look at her, "Why can't I just meet them already, Gabriella?"

"You want to meet them?" She laughed, "Okay." Gabriella smiled to her self, and pushing him out of bed. "We'll see how that goes."

"They're your best friends." He talked to her whilst dressing, "Do you secretly hate them?"

"We don't do lovely, dovey crap in this house." Gabriella said, "They're my best friends, but they are too much to handle this early in the morning."

"You're a strange woman." He started walking down the stairs, leading into the kitchen. Two faces smiled at Gabriella, then looked over the man who stood behind her. Gabriella walked casually to the coffee pot, without saying a word. She began pouring two cups of coffee before she heard Sophia clear her throat.

"So..." Sophia called, "What's everybody up to?" Luke laughed and took a sip of his coffee. Gabriella turned and faced her best friends.

"Sophia, Luke." Gabriella started, "This is Francis." She handed him a cup of coffee before sitting beside Luke at their table

"Francis?" Sophia asked, smiling at Luke who was shaking hands with Gabriella's new fling.

"Are you two surgeons as well?" Francis asked politely.

"No, I work at Cafe Lamont. Although, I'm in medical school studying to be a surgeon." Sophia replied.

"And I'm a mechanic." Luke also answered him. Gabriella closed her eyes in pain, this was the worst conversation she had ever been a part of.

"Oh okay." Francis said awkwardly. "Its a nice variety to have in a household, though."

Gabriella looked up in embarrassment, "Okay, I think it's time for you to go."

"I think so too." He agreed, standing from the table. "It was nice meeting you both."

"You too, man."

"Later Frankie!" Sophia called, biting into her cereal. Gabriella shook her head and laughed to herself quietly, directing him to the front door.

"I think they liked me." Francis told her, "Maybe we should talk more next time?"

"Yeah..." Gabriella replied, "Maybe."

"So, thanks for last night. It was really fun." He grabbed her hand, "Give me a call?"

She nodded, leaning forward and kissing him softly, "See you, Francis." Once the door was closed, Gabriella walked back into the kitchen. She sat down at the breakfast table, quietly pouring herself a bowl of cereal. She didn't dare to look up at Luke and Sophia.

"Really?" Sophia called, "That's the guy you've been secretly sleeping with?"

"I have to get to work." Gabriella replied, trying to avoid the question.

"Seriously Gabs, how old is he?" Luke asked.

"Let me guess, born in the 50's?" Sophia laughed and patted Gabriella on the back. "You got yourself a catch there Gabs."

Gabriella chuckled, "He's only 32, guys."

"His age didn't seem to slow him down." She joked.

"Yeah, you two sounded like you were having a ball last night." Luke suggested to Gabriella.

"Yeah, uh..." Gabriella's cheeks rapidly turned pink. "It was okay."

"Well, Frankie sounded like he was having a ball." Luke corrected himself.

"It was fine." She reflected upon the past few months, "I mean, he's into me..."

Luke let out a laugh, "Literally." Gabriella's head shook at him, while Sophia also laughed. "But if you're not into him, what's the point?"

"He's perfectly nice." Gabriella replied, "And he's good for me."

"But if the sex isn't good for you..." Sophia added, "That's not a fun time."

"Yeah, I know that Soph. It's just nice to date someone who knows what it's like to be so committed to your career. I mean, I probably won't call him again, but it was nice. There is no obligation, no complication and we usually had the same hours..."

"Wait, he's a surgeon?"

"Yeah, he's a dentist."

"Ohhhhhh, so he's not an actual doctor." Sophia corrected, "He's a doctor for teeth."

Gabriella shook her head, "He is an actual doctor, Soph."

"Is that what he told you when you attended his 70th birthday party?" She joked, caused Luke to choke on his coffee.

Gabriella let out a chuckle and grabbed her work bag, "No actually, that's what he told me before we had lots of sex. You know, that thing you haven't experienced in a very, very, very long time?"

Luke gave Gabriella a high-five as she exited the kitchen, "You shouldn't brag about being a whore, Gabs. Especially when the sex isn't even good!" Sophia called after her.

"Have a good day, kiddies!" Gabriella yelled as she exited the house. She smiled to herself and rushed to her car, where she would soon make her way to Boston Central Hospital.

* * *

The clock struck 6:30 as alarm bells blasted through the Boston Fire Department, causing all the firemen to rush out of the beds. "Engine 33 report for duty, engine 33." Tension filled the air as they prepared themselves for the emergency that had them jump on the engine in a matter of minutes.

"Inner city Building collapse, causing multiple car crashes, fellas." Captain Pete Miller informed his engine, "Prepare yourself for a long day."

"Shit." Troy whispered to himself, looking at his fellow firefighters who had the same expressions upon their faces.

"How many hands we got down there, sir?" Firefighter Mikey asked.

"All emergency services are heading to the scene immediately." Captain mentioned, "We need as much assistance as possible."

Mayhem had struck the streets of their beloved Boston. Debris covered the street filled with tears and screams. People laid still on the ground, unknown whether to be alive or dead. Numerous police cars, ambulances and fire engines rode up to the monstrous scene before them.

"Bolton!" Pete called, as they jumped off the engine. "You're with Mikey! Begin the on-ground search, only focusing on the east region!"

"You got it, sir." Troy replied and walked over to Mikey. They stood among the rubble, staring at the destruction ahead of them. "I wonder how many people are underneath this mess..."

Mikey took a deep breath, "Only one way to find out..."

* * *

Dr. Kenneth Giles stood in front of a team of paramedics, doctors and surgeons, one of which was surgical intern, Gabriella Montez.

"We do not know how many lives have been affected today..." He called, "but, as we speak, the Boston Fire Department are working tirelessly to find out. When they do, there will be many calls for help. That is where you all come in. We do not have the resources to transport everyone to the hospitals so, unless they are in an extremely critical condition which requires instant admittance to a hospital, you will identify and question them at the scene. We know this is a huge task, but we have faith in you all. This is your time."

"Dr. Giles!" Captain Miller called, "I'm sorry to interrupt, doctor, but we need some medical help!"

"I'll go!" An innocent voice yelled from the crowd.

"Follow me, ma'am." He told her, leading her through the rubble. "What's your name, miss?"

"Gabriella Montez, sir." Gabriella replied to a very anxious fire captain, "Do you know the extent of the injuries?"

"I'm sorry, but I don't. We'll just have to wait until we get there." Pete informed Gabriella, as they continued to walk through the rubble. It was then when they spotted Troy and Mikey who were on the ground, trying to talk to the victim. "I have to get back. Are you okay here? Do you have everything you need?"

Gabriella checked herself, "I think so..."

"You have to be certain, Miss Montez. There are lives at stake here."

"I'm fine, I'm good."She reassured him, quickly jumping to the two firemen. They found a young man underneath an office desk whilst they were searching. Gabriella bent down beside the man who was struggling to breath, "Sir, I know it's hard, but I'm going to need you to stay still." She began examining his condition, whilst Troy and Mikey continued to look through surrounding rubble.

Mikey looked back at the struggling surgeon, "How's he doing, Doc?"

"He has a broken leg and arm." She yelled back, "His heart rate is rapid and he is barely breathing..."

"Can you treat that?"

Gabriella ran her hands over his abdomen where she noticed a fracture in his rib cage, "Okay, I'm going to elevate your arm. I know how painful this must be, but please try to stay still."

"Do you want some help?" Troy asked from a distance, "Try to keep him stable."

"Yes please." She replied nervously. Mikey continued searching, while Troy hurdled over next to Gabriella. "I'm going to place this splint on his arm, then move down to his leg. Can you please hold his head and keep him talking? I'll try to be as quick as possible."

"Okay, you got it." He said, kneeling in front of the man. "Hey dude, what's your name?"

"Harrison." The man mumbled softly.

"Nice to meet you, brother." Troy smiled, "I'm Troy Bolton. This lovely lady is going to fix you up, so don't worry, okay? Just keep your eyes on me..."

"It hurts so bad." Harrison cried.

"Your arm is stabilized, Harrison." Gabriella placed his arm back down beside him, "I'm going to do the same to your leg." She looked through her bag hurriedly, but couldn't find another splint. Gabriella quickly stood from Harrison, looking for anything that could be used as a substitute. It was then when she noticed a small piece of wood, which would do for now.

Harrison let out a huge cough and yelled out in pain, "Harrison?" Troy asked, holding his head still. "What's going on?"

"I can't breathe." He struggled. Meanwhile, Gabriella was strapping a wooden plank to his right leg.

Troy checked his pulse, "His heart is beating like crazy."

"Shit." Gabriella swore under her breath, "His lung collapsed. I thought it was only a minor fracture in his rib cage..." She pulled back her hair nervously, "Shit..."

"He's struggling." Troy told her again urgently, "What do we do?"

"We have to insert a chest tube." Gabriella went through her bag, "Where is the anesthesia?" She yelled in frustration.

"Hey..."Troy calmed her, "Take a deep breath."

Gabriella still continued rushing through her belongings, "I can't, there's no time."

"Look at me!" He yelled and Gabriella dropping her things, "He is not going to get better until he has this chest tube. Take a deep breath and concentrate." She looked at her patient whose skin was looking blueish. Troy looked into Harrison's eyes and nodded, "It's going to be okay, man."

"Okay, found it!" Gabriella informed him, "I need to make an incision on his right lung, then locally anesthetize the area so the tube can be inserted."

"Sounds good to me, Doc."Gabriella began her procedure and immediately noticed a difference in Harrison. Once the tube was inserted, it was then that the color started to rush back into Harrison's face and his breathing stabilized. "He's looking better."

"Harrison, how do you feel around the chest?" She asked hopeful. He simply nodded, which was enough for Gabriella. "Thank god."

Troy smiled, "Well done..."

"Gabriella." She finished, "Gabriella Montez, I'm a surgical intern at Boston Central."

"Nice to meet you." He reached over to shake her hand, "You just saved this kid's life."

"Oh Jesus," Gabriella shook her head, "Don't jinx me."

* * *

Gabriella sat in Harrison's hospital room where she was checking his vitals and informing his parents of the situation. He looked as though he was going to recover well, which Gabriella was happy to share with his family. She handed Harrison's chart to the nurse and walked into the stairway. She sat on the stairs and took a deep breath, looking at her pants which were covered in blood and dirt.

"Hey, are you okay?" A man's voice asked her.

"Yeah, I'm fine..." Gabriella assured him, before looking up to see Troy standing in front of her. "Troy, is everything okay?"

"Of course, yeah." He quickly replied, "I just came to check up on Harrison. He seems to be doing well, hey?"

She nodded and smiled, "Yeah, it's unbelievable how quickly things change."

Troy sat down on the staircase, "You did well today, Gabriella. I know you probably don't hear that a lot, being an intern and all, but I just wanted you to know."

"Thank you." She whispered in response, "Although if it weren't for you, I probably would've been a nervous wreck."

"Come on." He pleaded, "We all know, you were already a nervous wreck."

Gabriella chuckled, "True..."

"How long have you been an intern for?" He asked her lightly.

"About 6 months." She revealed, "Isn't it obvious?"

He smirked, "Hey, don't talk yourself down. It was a hectic situation today..."

"I should know how to handle myself, though. All great surgeons work amazingly under pressure." Gabriella expressed, "I wish I could just skip all this and be a kick-ass surgeon."

"Yeah, but think about all that fun you'd be missing."

She looked at him, scrunching her brow. "I'm a surgical intern, Troy. We don't have fun."

"That's until you meet random firemen..." He said, smirking at her. Gabriella looked into his deep, crystal blue eyes and laughed. "What?"

"We are not swapping life stories right now, okay?" She ordered him, "Don't you have fires to put out?"

"Yeah, I should probably head back." Troy said, standing up in front of her. "It was nice meeting you, Gabriella."

"You too, Troy."

Just as he was about to walk away, he turned around again. "Uh, a bunch of us are going out for drinks tonight, at The Flinder's Club. Guess it's sort of a pain relief after today..." She smiled at him, "Maybe you can meet us there? Bring some of your friends and such..."

"Maybe." She replied mysteriously, "I'll ask my buddies, see what they're doing. "

"Alright, maybe I'll see you there." Troy smiled at her before walking away.

* * *

The Flinder's Club was one of the most popular bars in Boston. Since it was a Friday night, the club was filled with plenty of young, vibrant bodies. Music blasted through the stereo, causing the floors to shake and many people to hit the dance floor. Troy, Mikey and the majority of firefighters from Engine 33 were situated around the bar, doing shots of many liquors. Gabriella, Luke and Sophia decided they would also visit The Flinder's Club, after a sly suggestion from Gabriella.

Gabriella started to approach Troy after she spotted him at the bar, while Luke and Sophia headed directly for the dance floor. "Hey, fire boy!" She yelled, "Want to buy me a drink?"

Troy laughed, "I'm sorry, I can't hear you! It's very loud in here..."

"Oh, how convenient!"

"So where are these friends of yours?" He yelled, looking around her and spotting nobody.

"I've been ditched for the dance floor.." Gabriella replied, "It's not a worry though, because I'd rather receive free drinks from you." Troy smirked at her and Gabriella lent into his chest, laying her hands on his broad shoulders. Almost instantly, Gabriella noticed two hands snake around Troy's torso.

"Hey baby!" Gabriella heard a women call into his ear, "I missed you!"

Troy turned around in her arms, "Hey babe." He greeted her, kissing her cheek. "This is Gabriella, a surgeon I worked with today." Gabriella looked at Troy confused, before she stuck her hand out to her.

"I'm Kayley, Troy's girlfriend." She said politely, "It's nice to meet you!"

* * *

**So that's chapter one done and dusted! Please review your guts out! Love y'all! **


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